Group party view and post viewing digital content creation

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for group-watching video streams. In one aspect the disclosed systems and methods may generate a multi-panel display of the viewers during viewing of the video streams. In another aspect, the systems and methods may capture and create one or more digital asset from viewer-generated content, such as a physical reaction, captured during the to the video stream. The system may generate the digital assets for subsequent use on social media.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of Disclosure

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and method for thecreation of digital assets during group viewing of media. In particular,the disclosed systems and methods allow viewers to create digital assetsof their individual or collective reactions during the viewing of media.

2. Description of the Related Art

Systems exist to facilitate coordinated group-watching or viewing ofonline streaming media. While these systems may be used in conjunctionwith third-party chat platforms, they existing systems often fail toprovide lasting mementos from the group viewing party. There is,therefore, a need to provide more and lasting engagement experience in adigital environment associated following the group-watching of online orstreaming media.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED DISCLOSURE

[To be completed after claim review]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network environment in which a systemfor the group viewing of streaming media and the creation of digitalassets may be implemented.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary viewer device that may be used in context of thesystem of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary host server that may be usedin context of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary group-viewing overlay created during the use ofthe system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5A is an exemplary digital asset created during the use of thesystem of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5B is an exemplary evaluation digital asset created during the useof the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5C is an exemplary digital asset created during the use of thesystem of FIG. 1, after polling the viewers.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating a digitalasset using the system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes methods and systems for individual orgroup-watching video streams. In particular, a multi-panel display ofthe viewers may be superimposed over the video stream. In variousaspects, the multi-panel overlay may be minimized or positioned not toobstruct the video stream.

In various aspects, viewer-generated content, including reactionswhether physical, audible, or otherwise input at the viewers computingdevice, may be captured automatically and tracked in real time.Alternatively, viewer-generated content may be timestamped and used tocomposite the multi-panel overlay from individual viewer streams duringor after viewing the streamed media.

After viewing the streamed media, the viewer-generated content may beused to form the overlay. Conversely, the overlay itself may be used tocreate digital content or digital assets at desired time points of thevideo stream. In one aspect, the creation of the digital assets may bedictated by a real-time or compiled voting system amongst the viewers.Additionally, the disclosed system and methods may refer to viewerprivacy settings and default actions that may be taken in response tothe results of the voting system.

FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment 100 in which a system for groupviewing of a media stream and creating digital assets therefrom may beimplemented. The network environment 100 may include one or more contentprovider servers 110 that provide streaming content (e.g., video),stored in one or more data base 130, for distribution (e.g., via videoon-demand (VOD) services) using one or more content provider serverapplication program interfaces (APIs) 130. The network environment 100may also include a content delivery host server 140, a public network150, and one or more client devices 160.

Content provider servers 110 may maintain and provide media contentavailable for streaming. Such media content may include not onlypre-recorded content (e.g., DVR content), but also streams of livebroadcasts (e.g., live sporting events, live e-sporting events,broadcast premieres). The content provider servers 110 may be associatedwith any content provider, such as but not limited to Netflix®, Hulu®,or Amazon Prime, among others that make its content available to bestreamed. In various aspects, streaming as used herein may also includethe viewing or consumption of media that is downloaded to one or moreclient devices.

The streaming content from content provider server 110 may be providedthrough a content provider server API 130, which allows various types ofcontent sources server 110 to communicate over the public network 150.The content provider server API 130 may be specific to the particularlanguage, operating system, protocols, etc. of the content providerserver 110 providing the streaming content. In a network environment 100that includes multiple different types of content provider servers 110,there may likewise be a corresponding number of content provider serverAPIs 130.

The content provider server API 130 therefore facilitates direct orindirect access for each of the client devices 160 to the content hostedby the content provider servers 110. Additional information, such asmetadata, about the accessed content can also be provided by the contentprovider server API 130 to the client device 160. As described below,the additional information (i.e. metadata) can be usable to providedetails about the content being streamed to the client device 160.Finally, additional services associated with the accessed content suchas chat services, ratings and profiles can be provided from the contentprovider servers 110 to the client device 160 via the content providerserver API 130.

The content provider server API 130 can be accessed by a contentdelivery host server 140. The content delivery host server 140 mayinclude a server that provides resources and files related to the mediastream, including promotional images and service configurations withclient devices 160. The content delivery host server 140 can also becalled upon by the client devices 160 that request to stream orsubscribe to specific content.

The content provider server API 130 may be accessed by a host server API170 in order to obtain information about available streaming content forthe client device 160. As described below, the additional informationabout the content may include metadata describing the available content(e.g., by author, title, genre). The information may also include alocation where the content is stored (e.g., URL) so that the viewerdevice can proceed with retrieving the content from the content providerserver 110. Furthermore, the host server API 170 may includeinstructions or graphic viewer interfaces for implementingfunctionalities (e.g., chat) that would allow different client devices160 to interact with each other. Such instructions may be used by thehost server API 170 to provide certain functionalities to the clientdevice 160.

The host server API 170 may be responsible for communicating with thedifferent content provider servers 110 in order to provide that contentto the client device 160. The host server API 170 may carry outinstructions, for example, for identifying the format of the mediacontent and formatting the media content to be playable on the clientdevice 160. Such formatting may include identifying the metadataassociated with each of the content then using various different typesof conversion techniques so that data stored in one format at thecontent provider servers 110 may be rendered and displayed on the clientdevices 160, which may require a different format. As such, mediacontent of different formats may be provided to and made compatible withclient device 160 via the host server API 170.

The public network 150 facilitates communication of the steaming mediafrom content provider server 110 and the host server 140 with theplurality of client devices 160. The public network 150 can also includeone or more private networks, such as, a local area network (LAN), awide area network (WAN), or a network of public/private networks, suchas the Internet. The Internet is a broad network of interconnectedcomputers and servers allowing for the transmission and exchange ofInternet Protocol (IP) data between viewer devices connected through anetwork service provider. Examples of network service providers includethe public switched telephone network, a cable service provider, aprovider of digital subscriber line (DSL) services, or a satelliteservice provider.

The client device 160 may include a plurality of different types ofcomputing devices. For example, the client device 160 may include anynumber of different gaming consoles, mobile devices, laptops, anddesktops. Such client devices 160 may also be configured to access datafrom other storage media, such as, but not limited to memory cards ordisk drives as may be appropriate in the case of downloaded services.Such devices 160 may include standard hardware computing components suchas, but not limited to network and media interfaces, non-transitorycomputer-readable storage (memory), and processors for executinginstructions that may be stored in memory. These client devices 160 mayalso run using a variety of different operating systems (e.g., iOS,Android), applications or computing languages (e.g., C++, JavaScript).An exemplary client device 160 is described in detail herein withrespect to FIG. 3.

The host server 140 further stores and retrieves data from a hostdatabase 180. The host database 180 also stores any digital assets orother content created during or after one or more viewers consumesstreaming media at the client device 160. The database 180 also storesthe metadata associated with the media stream being provided to theclient devices 160. The host server 140 can generate metadata torelevant to the viewers' interactions with the hot server 140. In oneexample, the metadata can be used to link viewer-generated content atthe viewer computing devices 160 for the creation of digital assets 500.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary viewer device 200 that may be used in context ofthe system of FIG. 1. The client device 200 may correspond to clientdevice 160 of FIG. 1 and may be inclusive of desktop, laptop, tablet,mobile device, console gaming system, etc. The client device 200 is adevice that the viewer can utilize to facilitate carrying out featuresof the present disclosure pertaining to the group-watching of streamingmedia and the creation of digital assets. In particular, the clientdevice 200 allows the viewer to view the streamed media at any locationand time remotely.

The client device 200 may include various elements as illustrated inFIG. 2. It should be noted that the elements are exemplary and thatother aspects may incorporate more or less than the elementsillustrated. With reference to FIG. 2, the client device 200 includes amain memory 202, a central processing unit (CPU) 204, at least onevector unit 206, a graphics processing unit 208, an input/output (I/O)processor 210, an I/O processor memory 212, a controller interface 214,a memory card 216, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface 218, and anIEEE interface 220, an auxiliary (AUX) interface 222 for connecting atracking device 224, although other bus standards and interfaces may beutilized. The client device 200 further includes an operating systemread-only memory (OS ROM) 226, a sound processing unit 228, an opticaldisc control unit 230, and a hard disc drive 232, which are connectedvia a bus 234 to the I/O processor 210. The client device 200 furtherincludes at least one tracking device 224.

The tracking device 224 may be a camera, which includes eye-trackingcapabilities. The camera may be integrated into or attached as aperipheral device to client device 200. According to various aspects,typical eye-tracking devices may use infrared non-collimated lightreflected from the eye and sensed by a camera or optical sensor. Theinformation is then analyzed to extract eye rotation from changes inreflections. Camera-based trackers focus on one or both eyes and recordtheir movement as the viewer looks at some type of stimulus.Camera-based eye trackers use the center of the pupil and light tocreate corneal reflections (CRs). The vector between the pupil centerand the CR can be used to compute the point of regard on surface or thegaze direction. A simple calibration procedure of the viewer may beneeded before using the eye tracker.

In other aspects, trackers that are more sensitive may use reflectionsfrom the front of the cornea and that back of the lens of the eye asfeatures to track over time. In yet other aspects, even more sensitivetrackers image features from inside the eye, including retinal bloodvessels, and follow these features as the eye rotates. Most eye trackingdevices may use a sampling rate of at least 30 Hz, although 50/60 Hz ismost common. Some tracking devises may run as high as 240 Hz, which isneeded to capture detail of very rapid eye movement. The foregoingdescribes example eye-tracking technology that may be used in accordancewith the present disclosure. In various aspects, any known eye gazetracking technology that one skilled in the art would be capable ofapplying could be used.

A range camera may instead be used with the present disclosure tocapture gestures made by the viewer and is capable of facialrecognition. A range camera is typically used to capture and interpretspecific gestures, which allows a hands-free control of an entertainmentsystem. This technology may use an infrared projector, a camera, a depthsensor, and a microchip to track the movement of objects and individualsin three dimensions. This viewer device may also employ a variant ofimage-based three-dimensional reconstruction.

The tracking device 224 may include a microphone integrated into orattached as a peripheral device to client device 200 that captures voicedata. The microphone may conduct acoustic source localization and/orambient noise suppression. The microphones may be usable to receiveverbal instructions from the viewer to schedule, retrieve, and displaycontent on the client device 200.

Alternatively, tracking device 224 may be the controller of the viewerdevice 200. The controller may use a combination of built-inaccelerometers and infrared detection to sense its position in 3D spacewhen pointed at the LEDs in a sensor nearby, attached to, or integratedinto the console of the entertainment system. This design allows viewersto control functionalities of the client device 200 with physicalgestures as well as button-presses. The controller connects to theclient device 200 using wireless technology that allows data exchangeover short distances (e.g., 30 feet). The controller may additionallyinclude a “rumble” feature (i.e., a shaking of the controller duringcertain points in the game) and/or an internal speaker.

The controller may additionally or alternatively be designed to capturebiometric readings using sensors in the remote to record data including,for example, skin moisture, heart rhythm, and muscle movement. Furtherstill, in various aspects, any technology suitable for measuring and/orcapturing motion, facial expressions and/or any other physical orphysiological state of a viewer may be used.

As noted above, the client device 200 may be an electronic gamingconsole. Alternatively, the client device 200 may be implemented as ageneral-purpose computer, a set-top box, or a hand-held gaming device.Further, similar viewer devices may contain more or less operatingcomponents.

The CPU 204, the vector unit 206, the graphics-processing unit 208, andthe I/O processor 210 communicate via a system bus 236. Further, the CPU204 communicates with the main memory 202 via a dedicated bus 238, whilethe vector unit 206 and the graphics-processing unit 208 may communicatethrough a dedicated bus 240. The CPU 204 executes programs stored in theOS ROM 226 and the main memory 202. The main memory 202 may containpre-stored programs and programs transferred through the I/O Processor210 from a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical disc (not shown) using theoptical disc control unit 230. The I/O processor 210 primarily controlsdata exchanges between the various devices of the viewer device 200including the CPU 204, the vector unit 206, the graphics processing unit208, and the controller interface 214.

The graphics-processing unit 208 executes graphics instructions receivedfrom the CPU 204 and the vector unit 206 to produce images for displayon a display device (not shown). For example, the vector unit 206 maytransform objects from three-dimensional coordinates to two-dimensionalcoordinates, and send the two-dimensional coordinates to thegraphics-processing unit 208. Furthermore, the sound processing unit 230executes instructions to produce sound signals that are outputted to anaudio device such as speakers (not shown).

A viewer of the client device 200 provides instructions via thecontroller interface 214 to the CPU 204. For example, the viewer mayinstruct the CPU 204 to store certain information on the memory card 216or instruct the viewer device 200 to perform some specified action.Example controllers associated with the controller interface 214 mayinclude a touch-screen, keyboards, and game controllers.

Other devices may be connected to the client device 200 via the USBinterface 218, the IEEE interface 220, and the AUX interface 222.Specifically, a tracking device 224, including a camera or a sensor maybe connected to the client device 200 via the AUX interface 222, while acontroller may be connected via the USB interface 218. In some aspects,a VR headset or related hardware equipment may be communicativelycoupled to computing device 200 via one or more computing interfaces.Hardware and related software for implementing an augmented reality (AR)experience may similarly be coupled to computing device 200 via one ormore computing interfaces.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary host server 140 that may beused in context of the system of FIG. 1. The host server 140 may includea plurality of different features that facilitates group-viewing and thecreation of digital assets. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the host server140 may include memory 300, one or more processor 305, the host serverapplication program interface (API) 140, a streaming media storage andbuffer 310, a viewer profile module 315, a viewer reaction module 320, asocial engagement module 325, a digital asset creation module 330, ametadata module 335, a machine learning module 340, and a communicationinterfaces 345.

According to one aspect, the host application program interface (API)140 allows a host to manage how data, including but not limited to themedia stream, is distributed to remote viewers. Using the API 140, anadministrator (e.g., developer, gaming platform provider, streamingmedia aggregator) can customize and modify how the host server operateswith respect to what data is retrieved from the content provider server110, how the media stream is presented to the client devices, and howdigital assets are generated and compiled during viewing of the mediastream.

The media storage and buffer 310 may be used to store the streamingmedia temporarily until it can be processed and distributed to viewers.In another aspect, the media storage and buffer may be used to store theviewer-generated content anddigital assets temporarily.

The viewer profile module 315 is used to store information about eachviewer. In one aspect, viewers may need to create their own profile andsign in to their respective profiles before being allowed to access/viewthe media content (“streamed media”). The stored viewer profiles wouldbe used by the host server 140 to identify the types of modifications tothe media stream or digital assets that can be carried out to betterengage the viewer in the viewing experience.

The viewer profile module 315 may also store viewer preferences aboutthe distribution of the media viewed on their respective client devices160. For example, the viewer profile module 315 can customize preferredviews, preferred additional information to be displayed, preferredaudio, and even preferred advertisements. The viewer profile module 315also stores privacy settings and preferences for the viewers. Forexample, the privacy settings may dictate when or how a viewer'slikeness or other identifying information is incorporated into anygroup-viewing generated digital assets. In one aspect, a viewer mayindicate that they prefer not to be included in any digital assets.Alternatively, a viewer may indicate that they do not wish to beincluded in digital assets that may be formatted for subsequent sharing.

The viewer profile module 315 can also store information about theclient devices. This information may identify, for example, the formatthe media stream would need to be transmitted in order to be compatiblewith the client device. With all the information about the viewer storedin the viewer profile, the host server 140 would be able to identify theappropriate version of the media stream to be distributed.

The viewer reaction module 320 receives and processes viewer-generatedcontent related to a viewer's reaction to the presented streaming media.The reactions may also include physical movements or facial expressionscaptured by the tracking device 224.

During group-viewing of the media stream, the viewer reaction module 320captures data from the viewer's respective client devices 160. Theviewer reaction module 320, alone or in conjunction with the metadatamodule 335, may synchronize multiple viewer reactions of multipleviewers captured from their respective client devices and the viewedstreaming media, such that viewer reactions in response to the sameactions or events in the media stream may be correlated to one another.In another aspect, the viewer reaction module 320 may identify a type ofreaction made by the viewer and classify the same as a laughing, crying,frightened, or ambivalent, among others. In addition, to physicalreactions of the viewer captured by the tracking device 224, the viewerreaction module 320 may also receive and incorporate text or graphicsinput by the viewer.

The social engagement module 325 facilitates and encourages furtherengagement with the media stream and social interactions among theviewers at the client devices 160. In various aspects, the socialengagement module 325 may facilitate social interactions between thegroups of viewers. For example, the social engagement module 325 maygenerate a video chat among viewers of the media stream. In one aspect,the members of the video chat may be limited to viewers invited to thevideo chat. According to one aspect, the digital assets, based onviewer-generated content, may include images or video of the viewerscaptured during the video chat. In another aspect, the social engagementmodule 325 may facilitate communication between viewers using chat,email, video chat, or any other suitable communication modalities.

In one aspect, the social engagement module 325 may generate a multipanel overlay 400, as shown in FIG. 4, over the streaming media thatincorporates real-time streams from the client devices 160 capturing theviewers as the watch the streaming media. The multi panel overlay 400may be the display of a multi-person video chat among the viewers or themulti panel overlay may be a non-interactive composite of individualvideo streams recorded in real-time at the various client devices 160.In various other aspects, the overlay 400 may be formatted for displayover the streamed media without obstructing the streamed media. Inanother aspect, the overlay 400 may be displayed alongside the streamedmedia; while in other aspects, the overlay 400 is not displayed toviewer's during the group-viewing yet may be presented during a pause inthe streamed media or after the conclusion of the streamed media.

The digital asset creation module 330 creates digital assets from theimages, video, or other inputs received from the viewers' client devices160. The inputs may include physical motions or facial expressions asidentified by the tracking device 224. In one aspect, the digital assetsare composed of images of the viewer during certain portions of themedia stream. For example, the digital asset 500 may be an image of anindividual viewer or a composite image of multiple viewers depictingtheir reactions to the same portion of the media stream. In anotheraspect, the digital asset 500 may be a video of one or more viewersreacting to the media stream. In various aspects, the digital assetcreation module 330 generates one or more digital asset 500 duringviewing of the media stream. Alternatively, the digital asset creationmodule 330 may generate one or more digital asset 500 at the conclusionof the media stream.

The digital asset creation module 330 may further format or otherwisemanipulate the viewer-generated content and digital asset fordistribution over the public network to other platforms including butnot limited to other social network platforms. In one aspect, aftergeneration of the digital asset 500, viewers may add additional text,audio, or other features to create a meme from the generated digitalasset. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, a digital asset 500 createdduring a group viewing of a horror movie, (e.g. The Shining) may depictthe viewers 504 A-C all reacting to and being frightened by the samescene in the movie. In one aspect, the frightened reactions may becaptured in real time. Alternatively, the viewer reactions may becaptured whenever the viewer watches the movie, even if not viewedsimultaneously with other viewers. By using timestamps, the digitalasset creation module 330 may synchronize the captured viewer reactionsto produce the digital asset. As shown in FIG. 5A, additional indicia506, such as text or graphics regarding the group viewing event may beincluded. The additional indicia 506 may be generated automaticallybased on the media streamed or the indicia may be input and edited byone or more viewer 504A-C.

The digital asset creation module 330 may also censor or prevent thegeneration of a digital asset 500 based upon input from one or moreviewers. For example, the digital asset creation module 330 may polleach of the viewers after the creation and display of a digital asset500 to seek approval to publish the asset. The rejection of a digitalasset 500 may involve only a single viewer whose captured image isremoved from the digital asset or it may reject the entire image if anumber of viewers above a pre-determined threshold reject the asset.

For example, referring now to FIGS. 5B and 5C, the digital assetcreation module 330 may generate a preliminary digital asset 502A. Asshown, this preliminary digital asset 502A includes reaction images508A-F from multiple viewers. The initial digital asset 502A alsoincludes polling data 510A-F to receive input regarding the acceptanceor rejection of the reaction image 508A-F for each viewer. After pollingthe viewers, a final digital asset 502B is generated. The final digitalasset 502B, as shown in FIG. 5C, two of the reaction images are omittedas they were rejected during the polling process.

In yet another aspect, the digital asset creation module 330 works inconjunction with the machine learning module 340 to predict thelikelihood that a viewer will reject an image or video proposed forinclusion in a digital asset 500. For example, the machine learningmodule may help identify a captured image where a viewer has their eyesclosed or the image is blurry such that the viewer is likely to vote forrejecting the captured image. Similarly, the digital asset creationmodule 330 may reference stored viewer profile data to identify anyprivacy restrictions desired by the viewers. For example, a viewer mayrequire approval for all digital assets before publication and viewingby the other viewers. In another example, a viewer may indicate apreference in their viewer profile for the automatic approval of allcaptured images. Alternatively, a viewer may automatically opt of thecapture of any images or video.

The metadata module 335 generates metadata for the media stream and theviewer-generated assets created during the group viewing. Additionally,the generated metadata may be used to synchronize viewer-generatedcontent with the media stream further. The metadata may also be used torecall previous instances of viewer-generated assets, and portionsthereof. In another aspect, the metadata module 335 may identify orassign timestamps related to the streaming media and/or in response tothe viewer-generated content and inputs.

In another aspect, the metadata may be associated with a particularviewer or a group of viewers; while in another aspect, the metadata maybe associated with a particular type of reaction in the viewer-generateddigital assets. This can be performed, for example, by providing uniquelabels for the media stream, viewers, and/or the generated digitalassets. In this way, the digital assets may be stored separately fromthe metadata that is generated. However if the digital assets are everretrieved and viewed by the viewer, the corresponding metadata can bequeried and applied accordingly.

The machine learning module 360 may be an internal or externalartificial intelligence (AI) or other machine learning system trainedusing any suitable machine learning model, system, or dataset to predictor identify likely viewer preferences and likely actions while viewingthe media stream, among others. The machine learning module 360 may alsobe used to predict viewer reactions and may adjust the tracking device224 automatically. For example, the machine learning module 360 maydetermine when a frightening or scary portion of the media stream willdisplayed and may determine that a full-body reaction by the viewer mayoccur. Based on this determination, the machine learning module 360 mayinstruct a tracking device 224 of the viewer's client device 160 tozoom-out to capture a predicted whole body reaction, such as jumping.Alternatively, the machine learning module 335 may provide instructionsto the tracking device 224 to zoom-in on a viewer's face. The machinelearning module 335 may determine the best tracking device 224 settingsto capture a likely reaction based upon previous viewer actions,previous digital asset approvals or rejections, historic viewerreactions from all viewers of the media stream or combinations thereof.

The communication interface 345 facilitates communication between thevarious features of the system of FIG. 1. For example, this wouldfacilitate transmission of information from the content provider server110 to the host server 140 and from the host server to the clientdevices 160.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 600 forgenerating digital assets during group-watching of a media stream orstreaming media. The method 600 may be embodied as executableinstructions in a non-transitory computer readable storage mediumincluding but not limited to a CD, DVD, or non-volatile memory such as ahard drive. The instructions of the storage medium may be executed by aprocessor (or processors) to cause various hardware components of acomputing device hosting or otherwise accessing the storage medium toperform or aid in performing the method. The steps identified in FIG. 6(and the order thereof) are exemplary and may include variousalternatives, equivalents, or derivations thereof including but notlimited to the order of execution of the same.

In method 600, information may be stored in memory regarding the mediacontent that may be streamed to the client devices 160. Content, such asbut not limited to viewer reactions, may be captured during play of thestreamed media content. The captured reactions may be composited into adigital asset 500 that may be subsequently shared on various socialmedia platforms. Additionally, one or more timestamps may be associatedwith the captured content, such that the media content and the capturedcontent may be synchronized for later streaming and display. In thisaspect, the streaming media and generated digital asset 500 may beviewed again by the viewers. Alternatively, an acquaintance of the groupviewing the streaming media may view the streaming media at a later timeand view the previously generated digital asset or they may capturetheir own reaction to generate new digital assets.

In step 610, information may be stored in memory regarding a contentprovider and a media stream. A host may establish a channel or interfacefor distributing the media stream from the content provider. The hostmay require authentication information from viewers (e.g., viewer name,password) that allows an account to be established in association withthe content distribution interface. In addition, various other devicesin the network may subscribe to receive content distributed through theinterface. Information regarding the host, the content provider, dataregarding the streamed media, and the viewers of the group-viewing eventmay be maintained in memory. Where certain content providers require aspecific subscription (e.g., “premium” cable content), the subscriberdevice may be required to have a subscription associated with thecontent provider in order to access content through the channel.

In step 620, media content (e.g., a specified episode of a televisionprogram) may be streamed to the client devices 160. As discussed herein,the media content may include any type of pre-recorded or live mediacontent available to be streamed over a communication network. Suchmedia content may originate from a content provider server 110,formatted by content provider server API 130 and they are then providedto the client devices through an interface generate by the host serverAPI 170. In another aspect, the streaming media may be provided to theclient device directly from the content provider server or anothersource, while the host server API 170 communicates with the contentprovider server or other source at the backend to gather data regardingthe streaming media and synchronize the viewer-generated content.

In step 630, content generated by the viewers may be captured duringdisplay of the streaming media. In various aspect, the viewer-generatedcontent may include audio or video commentary, viewer reactions,background or other contextual asides, text, graphics and other types ofcontent generated in reaction to the streaming media. Because theviewer-generated content may be produced and captured during play of thestreaming media, the timing of the viewer-generated content may becorrelated to with the timing of the displayed media. For example, theviewer-generated content may start at a certain point within thetimeline of the streaming media.

In step 640, metadata, including one or more timestamps related to themedia content may be assigned to the viewer-generated content. Becausethe viewer-generated content may be responsive to what is being shown asduring play of the media content, such viewer-generated content may notmake sense or otherwise lack context when played in the absence of themedia content or when played out of sync with the media content. As theviewer-generated content is captured, however, one or more timestamps(e.g., reflecting a current point within the timeline of the playingmedia content) may be associated with certain points within theviewer-generated content.

In step 650, one or more digital assets may be created from theviewer-generated content. In one aspect, the digital asset 500 may be anewly generated digital file that includes a composite image, video, oraudio file, among others, that incorporates viewer reactions from one ormore viewers that are group-watching the streaming media. In anotheraspect, the digital asset may be the viewer-generated content ascaptured directly from the viewer's client device.

In step 660, the digital asset 500 is transmitted to the client devices160 for display to the viewers. In one aspect, the digital asset 500 maybe displayed to only those viewers that have provided viewer-generatedcontent for the asset. In another aspect, the digital asset may bedisplayed to all viewers that are group-watching the streaming media.

In yet another aspect, each viewer may be polled at step 670 to obtaintheir approval of the captured viewer-generated content beforegeneration of the digital asset 500. In another aspect, each viewer maybe polled after viewing the digital asset 500. Alternatively, ratherthan polling the viewer's directly, the digital asset creation module330 may reference stored preferences for respective viewers beforegenerating the digital asset 500.

At step 680, the digital asset 500 is published for display, storage, orfurther editing by the viewers at the client devices 160. Afterpublishing the final digital asset to the client devices, the viewersmay use or share the digital asset with others (e.g. through use onsocial media platforms).

The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above teaching. The described aspects were chosen in order to bestexplain the principles of the technology and its practical applicationto thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize thetechnology in various aspects and with various modifications as aresuited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scopeof the technology be defined by the claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for creating digital assets from one ormore viewer of streaming media; the method comprising: storing dataregarding the streaming media; receiving viewer-generated contentgenerated during display of the steaming media; storing theviewer-generated content; associating the viewer-generated content withthe streaming media; generating a digital asset from theviewer-generated content; and providing the digital asset to the one ormore viewer.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing thestreaming media to the one or more viewer.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising: displaying a preliminary digital asset to the one ormore viewer; polling the one or more viewer regarding the preliminarydigital asset; and modifying the digital asset based on a response tothe polling of the one or more viewer.
 4. The method of claim 1 whereinthe viewer-generated content comprises a viewer reaction to thestreaming media.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the viewer reactioncomprises at least one of: an image, video, audio, or text recorded orinput at a viewer client device displaying the steaming media.
 6. Themethod of claim 4, wherein the viewer reaction is captured from a viewerclient device in real-time.
 7. The method of claim 1, whereinassociating the viewer-generated content with the streaming mediafurther comprises: identifying a timestamp of the streaming media;assigning the timestamp to the viewer-generated content; and storingdata regarding the timestamp of the streaming media and the assignedtimestamp for the viewer-generated content.
 8. The method of claim 1further comprising: generating a viewer overlay during display of thestreaming media, wherein the overlay displays the one or more viewer inreal-time during the display of the streaming media.
 9. The method ofclaim 7 wherein the viewer overlay is a multi-panel displaycorresponding to a number of viewers watching the streaming media.
 10. Asystem for creating digital assets from one or more viewer of streamingmedia; the system comprising: a database that stores informationregarding the streaming media and stores viewer-generated content; acontent provider server that provides the streaming media; and a hostserver that: receives viewer-generated content generated during displayof the steaming media; stores the viewer-generated content; associatesthe viewer-generated content with the streaming media; generates adigital asset from the viewer-generated content; and provides thedigital asset to the one or more viewer.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein the host server further provides the streaming media to the oneor more viewer through a host server interface.
 12. The system of claim10, further comprising the host server that: displays a preliminarydigital asset to the one or more viewer; polls the one or more viewerregarding the preliminary digital asset; and modifies the digital assetbased on a response to the polling of the one or more viewer.
 13. Thesystem of claim 10 wherein the viewer-generated content comprises aviewer reaction to the streaming media.
 14. The system of claim 13wherein the viewer reaction comprises at least one of: an image, video,audio, or text recorded or input at a viewer client device displayingthe steaming media.
 15. The system of claim 13, wherein host servercaptures the viewer reaction from a viewer client device in real-time.16. The system of claim 10, further comprising the host server that:identifies a timestamp of the streaming media; assigns the timestamp tothe viewer-generated content; and stores data regarding the timestamp ofthe streaming media and the assigned timestamp for the viewer-generatedcontent.
 17. The system of claim 10, further comprising the host serverthat: generates a viewer overlay during display of the streaming media,wherein the overlay displays the one or more viewer in real-time duringthe display of the streaming media.
 18. The system of claim 17, whereinthe viewer overlay is a multi-panel display corresponding to a number ofviewers watching the streaming media.
 19. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, theprogram being executable by a processor to perform a method for creatingdigital assets from one or more viewer of streaming media, the methodcomprising: storing data regarding the streaming media; receivingviewer-generated content generated during display of the steaming media;storing the viewer-generated content; associating the viewer-generatedcontent with the streaming media; generating a digital asset from theviewer-generated content; and providing the digital asset to the one ormore viewer.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 19, wherein the method further comprises providing the streamingmedia to the one or more viewer.
 21. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method furthercomprises: displaying a preliminary digital asset to the one or moreviewer; polling the one or more viewer regarding the preliminary digitalasset; and modifying the digital asset based on a response to thepolling of the one or more viewer.
 22. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein associating theviewer-generated content with the streaming media further comprises:identifying a timestamp of the streaming media; assigning the timestampto the viewer-generated content; and storing data regarding thetimestamp of the streaming media and the assigned timestamp for theviewer-generated content.
 23. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:generating a viewer overlay during display of the streaming media,wherein the overlay displays the one or more viewer in real-time duringthe display of the streaming media.